Dispensing pill box



Nov. 17, 1942. BARON 2,302,641

iJISPENSING PILL BOX Filed Feb. 14, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

r ":IIIIIJHIIIIIIITI INVENTORI L ganard Baron ATTORNEY Nov. 17, 1942. BARON 2,302,641

DISPENSING PILL BOX Filed Feb. 14, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet? 5 v v g I J |NVE NTO I l I g Leonard aran Ill! ILHIIHH HlUll (79 I, 76

7 ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 17, 1942 DISPENSING PILL BOX Leonard Baron, Franklin Square, Long Island,

N. Y., assignor to Victor Metal Products. Corporation, Brooklyn, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application February 14, 1941, Serial No. 378,910

14 Claims.

This invention relates to pocket-size containers for pills, tablets, capsules and the like and particularly to that type of pill box wherein a single pill at a time is dispensed when the container is properly manipulated.

The present invention contemplates the provision of a dispensing pill box having two parts, namely, a container or bottom part and a cover part, with dispensing means formed integrally with said parts to insure the discharge of a single pill or tablet at a time from the container on each relative movement of the parts, the remaining pills being maintained inaccessibly within the box and protected againstaccess of dust or other contamination.

The invention further contemplates the provision of a container such as a pill box adapted to fit easily into the pocket and adapted to be molded of suitable moldable material such as various well known synthetic resins or the like and wherein the appearance of the box is not materially different from the conventional box, but wherein the two box parts are adapted to be manipulated to a limited extent to dispense one pill at a time, the parts being secured together to free of exterior protuberances or projections such as might interfere with its manufacture, storage, shipping or which might detract from its good appearance.

The various objects of the invention will be clear from the description which follows and from the drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is a top plan view, with the cover part partly broken away to show its interior, of a round pill box embodying the invention and designed to hold two layers of tablets or pills.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical section of the same taken through the discharge openings of the box.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of the bottom part of the box showing the discharge passage therein, and showing the stops limiting the relative rotational movement cf the cover and bottom box parts. a

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary bottom, plan View of the Fig. 5 is a top plan view, partly broken away, of a modified form of the invention comprising a substantially rectangular container.

Fig. 6 is a vertical section of the same taken on the line 66 of Fig. 5.

' Fig. 7 is a top plan View, similar to Fig. 1, of a modified form of the round box adapted for one layer of pills or tablets.

Fig. 8 is a front elevation of the same partly in section.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary top plan view, similar to Fig. 3, of the bottom box part shown in Figs. 7 and 8.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of the cover part of the box shown in Figs. 7 and 8.

Fig. 1-1 is a front elevation of Fig. 9.

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary vertical section of the rectangular box adaptedto hold a single layer of pills or tablets and showing in dash-dot lines the position into which the cover part moves during the dispensing operation.

In the practical embodiment of the invention which I have shown by way of example, the box consists of two parts, namely, a bottom part and a cover part each molded of suitable moldable material such as the now commonly known resins and provided with integral stops, walls, partitions, grooves, and openings whereby the container may be inexpensively manufactured, filled, and assembled in large quantities :at comparatively low cost.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 4, the one-piece bottom part 22 includes the cylindrical wall It upstanding from the bottom wall l9 and provided withan annular rib l! on its outer surface near the top of the wall and parallel to the bottom wall for the purpose later to be described. The height of the wall [6 is substantially the same as the height of the layers of such tablets.

As shown in Fig. 2, there being two layers, the wall I6 is about two tablets high. The bottom wall I9 is integrally joined to the wall It and, is provided with a circular groove or recess 20 adjacent its peripheraledge and designed to receive the lowermost preferably rounded edge of the cylindrical wall 2| which forms a peripheral flange depending from the top vwall25 of the top part I5 of the box. The wall 2l is further provided with a circumferential groove 23 on its inner face shaped to fit and adapted. to receive the rib l1 outstanding from the wall 16. Since there isv a certain amount of flexibility in such moldable plastics as Bakelite'and the like from which the box is made, the upright cylindrical walls It cover part showing the integral partitions thereon. and 2| may be forcibly telescoped together after the bottom part 22 has been filled with tablets, until the lowermost edge of the wall 2| enters the groove 29 and the rib l! enters the groove 23, whereby the parts spring back to the positions shown in Fig. 2 and are locked together for rela- 5 tive rotational movement. Such movement is limited by stop means which also form part of the dispensing and discharge means, which will now be described.

In the wall 2| is formed a discharge opening 24, which opening extends from the lowermost edge of said wall upwardly toward the .top wall a distance slightly greater than the height of the under layer of tablets, the Width of the opening being slightly greaterthan the diameter of the '15 tablet. A similar opening communicating with its discharge passage is made in the lower part of the wall l6, so that when said openings are brought into registration, the tablets in the interior of the box may be discharged through the openings.

Leading toward the discharge opening in the wall IE to form the guide passage 26 for tablets to be dispensed, and partly filling the tablet holding space in the bottom box part, are the spaced upstanding guide members 21, 28, molded integrally with the bottom wall l9 and upstanding therefrom substantially the same height as that of the opening 24. Preferably, the adjacent edges of said members 21, 28 diverge inwardly as at 29, 30 to assist in guiding the tablet l8 to be discharged. into the discharge passage 26.

The wall l6 of the bottom part preferably terminates at a point 3| beyond and on one side of the passage 26, said wall terminating at its other end at a point 32 spaced beyond and on the other side of the edge 29 of the passage. The shoulders thus formed provide stop means cooperating with certain depending walls of the top part to limit the relative rotation of the top '40 and bottom parts. As best shown in the bottom plan View constituting Fig. 4, a pair of preferably parallel walls as 33, 34 are molded integrally with the top wall 25 of the cover part and depend therefrom substantially half way toward the bottom wall I9. Integrally joining the inner ends of said walls 33, 34 and substantially perpendicular thereto is a transverse wall 35 extending downwardly from the top wall 25 to a point close to the bottom wall l9.

In the normal or closed position of the container, the top part l5 has been rotated in a clockwise direction relatively to the bottom part 22, as viewed in Fig. 1, so that the wall 2| closes the passage 26 and the wall 34 abuts against or i is close to the shoulder 32. In this position, the wall 33 mat project across a part of the passage to prevent the entrance thereinto of more than one pill. During ordinary handling of the box, the pills move about sufficiently to allow the pill nearest the passageway or chute 26 to enter the pgssage, being guided thereinto by the surfaces 2 39.

When it is desired to abstract a pill from the box, the cover I5 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Fig, 1, until the opening 24 registers with the discharge end of the passage 26, in which position the wall 33 is stopped by the shoulder 3| at the right hand end of the wall l5. Such movement of the cover carries the 7 0 wall 35 behind the pill I8 in the discharge passage and prevents any other pills from moving into the passage. The pill in the passage may now be discharged. It will be understood that if two pills should have entered the pass g in side walls 48, 49 of the bottom box part.

any way prior to the movement just described, then on moving the cover into the discharge position, the wall 33 engages the upper one of the pills and brushes or moves it aside and on to and past the top surface of the member 28 and into the mass of the remaining pills in the box. On the return rotation of the cover to carry the wall 34 against the stop shoulder 32, a pill enters the discharge passage ready to be dispensed on the repetition of the operation.

It will be understood that prior to the forced telescoping together or assembly of the box parts l5 and 22, the bottom part of the box is incompletely filled with pills, leaving the spaces above the members 21 and 28 and the upper part of the passage 26 empty so that the relative movement of the box parts into pill discharging position may be accomplished without interference or obstruction by misplaced pills.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 5 and 6, applied to a rectangular box, relative sliding ,movement of the cover part and the bottom part 4| is provided for. The cover of the box is of substantially U-shaped cross-section having a top wall 39 and depending peripheral side walls A 42, 43, at least one end of the cover part being completely open to permit sliding of the cover toward the left as viewed in Fig. 5. The longitudinal grooves 44, 45, similar to the groove 23 of Fig. 2, are provided in the side walls 42, 43 for the reception of the respective ribs 46, 41 projecting integrall from the upstanding respective The lower edges of the walls 42, 43 are fitted into suitable grooves 59, 5| in the bottom wall 53 of the bottom part, whereby the cover and bottom parts may be snapped together and locked for relative sliding movement in the manner. de-

scribed in connection with the telescoping locking of the corresponding parts I5 and 22 in that form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 4.

Depending from the top wall 39 is the wall 54 extending substantially across the width of the cover part, but at one end as at 55 being reduced in height to substantially the height of the top layer of pills. The length of said reduced part 55 is substantially equal to the diameter of one pill. To the right of the wall 54, as viewed in Fig. 5, and extending to the adjacent end of the top wall is the discharge opening 56 in the side wall 42, it being understood that when said opening is brought into registration with the discharge passage 51 of the bottom box part, a single pill may be discharged.

, Said bottom box part 4| is provided with the end walls 58, 59 and with a stop wall 63 spaced inwardly of the adjacent wall 59 and adapted to abut against the cover wall 54 when the box parts are in their normal positions. 7 The side wall 49 of the bottom box part is reduced in height and is widened interiorly to form the upstanding member 6| having an edge wall 62 limiting the discharge passage 51 on one side, thereby to form a stop shoulder 63 on said wall 49. Similarly, the walls 59 and 60 may be joined by a solid connecting portion 54 which is reduced in height adjacent the passage 51 as at to permit the wall portion 55 to fit thereon and to move thereover. The edge wall 61 cooperates with the wall 62 to form the passageway, while thepills are guided into the passageway by the wall 54.

The bottom box part 4| having been incompletely filled with pills between the walls 60 and 58 thereof, the pills being omitted at the areas occupied by the members 6| and 65, and

the 'cover part '46 having been snapped into place with the lower edges of the sidewalls thereof in the grooves 56 and '5! and the grooves 44 and 45 thereof receiving the respective ribs 46, 41, the cover 'part is moved to the position shown in Fig. 5, wherein the outer part of the passage 51 is closed by the end portion of the wall 42. If it is now desired to dispense a pill, the cover part is moved toward the left to bring the opening 56 into registration with the discharge passage 51'. Such movement of the cover causes the reduced wall part 55 to move over the single pill in the discharge passage so that if a second pill is piled on the lower pill, the upper pill is engaged by the wall part 55 and moved over on to the member 6| and brushed off into and among the remaining pills in the box. At the same time, the end surface 68 of the wall 54 engages any pill as 66 which may be ready to enter the discharge passage and moves said pill, together with any other .pills adjacent said wall 54 toward the left therefore cutting off the possible entrance of any additional pill into the discharge passage. Movement of the cover part 48 toward the left is limited by the engagement of the wall 54 with the edge wall 62, said wall projecting inwardly into the box a uflicient distance for that purpose. A pill in the passage may now be discharged and the parts moved back to their initial positions, thereby freeing the discharge passage for the entrance thereinto of another pill ready for the repetition of the operation.

Referring now to that form of the invention shown in Figs. 7 and 8 wherein a round pill box having a single layer of pills is shown, the heights of the vertical walls of the bottom part 10 and of the cover part H are reduced to the amount necessary to accommodate the single layer. In the depending wall 12 of the cover part II, there is provided the discharge opening 13. Spaced inwardly from and preferably in radial alignment with the opening is provided the depending short wall 14 integral with the top wall 15 of the cover part, said short wall 14 being substantially of the same width as the opening and extending to a point close to the bottom wall 16 of the bottom part. U-pstanding from said bottom part are the spaced members 11 and 18 similar to the corresponding parts 21 and 28 of Fig. 1 and forming the discharge passage 19 therebetween. The members 11, 18 are of slightly less height than the upstanding wall 86 of the bottom part, which wall terminates at spaced points as 8!, 82 to provide stop shoulders at said points (Figs. '7, 9, and 11). As shown in Fig. '7, the parts are in their normal positions ready for the relative rotation thereof to bring the openof the cover part in a counterclockwise direction to its discharge position is limited by the engagement of the shoulder 8| of the wall 88 with the shoulder 84 at one end of the groove 83. Rotation of the cover part in the opposite direction closes the passage 19 against any further discharge of :pills and is limited by the engagement of the shoulder '82 with the other end of the :groove 83 by contact with the shoulder 65 at said other end.

In Fig. 12, I have shown a rectangular box, similar to that shown in Figs, 5 and 6, dimensioned to accommodate a single layer of pills. In thi form of the invention, the cover part 90, of generally -U-shaped cross-section, is open at at least its right end and has a pair of opposed side walls, being thereby similar to the cover part 48 of Figs. 5 and 6. The cover part is similarly mounted on the bottom part 9| by means of ribs, similar to the ribs 45, 41 sliding in suitable grooves, and grooves are provided similar to the grooves 50 and 5| to receive the bottom edges of the side walls. The discharge opening in the side wall of the cover part 96 instead of extending half way' up in said wall, as does the corresponding opening 56, extends upwardly approximately the entire height of said wall since the height of the box is only that of 'a single pill as will be readily understood with out further description. Similarly, the smaller wall 92 depends from the cover part and extends longitudinally of the wall 94 of the bottom part, said wall 94 being similar to the wall shown in Fig. 5. The wall 92, however, is entirely cut away at the discharge end of the passage :formed between the upstanding passagedefim'ng member 93. of the bottom part and the outerpart of the wall 94 of said bottom part. The cutaway part of the wall 92 permits said wall to slide to the left as viewed in Fig. 12, thereby to cut off any pills tending to enter the passage 95 and to obstruct said passage. The engagement of the wall 92 with the member 93 limits the movement of the cover part toward the left as shown by the dash-dot lines of Fig. 12. Movement of the cover toward the right is limited by the engagement of the walls 82 and 94. It will be understood that, as in Figs. 5 and 6, the cover and bottom parts are moved until the respective discharge openings thereof are in registration. Such movement cuts off the entrance of all pills into the discharge passage 95 and permits only the pill already in that passage to ing 13 into registration with the passage 19 and thereby to permit discharge of a pill in the passage. The top wall 15 of the cover part is provided with a groove 83 receiving the upper edge portion of the wall and terminating (Fig. 10) at the points 234, 85 respectively on opposite sides of the discharge opening 13 and thereby providing shoulders for the engagement therewith by the shoulders 8|, 82 respectively at the ends of the wall 80.

On the movement of the cover part in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 7, the wall 14 sweeps across the inner end of the passage 19 and brushes aside any pill arranged near said inner end, closing off the passage against the entrance of any pills thereinto. The single pill in the passage is discharged when the opening 73 registers with the passage 19. Rotation be discharged.

In all the forms of the invention, it will be seen that only two parts are employed; that each of said parts is of a single piece of material and may be molded conveniently of suitable synthetic plastic with integral partitions, passageways, and stops, but without exterior projections or protuberances which might detract from the convenient manufacture, storage, filling, shipping, or other handling of the box, or detract from the good appearance thereof. be seen that after filling of the cover part with 'pills, the parts may be readily and quickly assembled to lock the parts together against access to the pills in the box except by manipulation of the cover relatively to the bottom part, thereby to guide a pill into the discharge passage and to discharge'only a single pill at a time. It will therefore be seen that the various objects of the invention are adequately carried out.

While I have shown and described certain spe cific embodiments of the invention, I do not wish It will also to be understood as limiting myself thereto, but intend to claim the invention as broadly as may be permitted by the state of the prior art and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A two part dispensing container for pills, tablets and the like comprising a bottom part molded of synthetic moldable material and having a bottom wall provided with a substantially peripheral groove, a wall upstanding integrally from the bottom part and having an outstanding rib at the upper part thereof and also having a discharge opening therein, a pair of spaced members upstanding integrally from the bottom part inside of said upstanding wall and having a passageway therebetween terminating in said dis charge opening, a similarly molded cover part having a top wall, a flange wall depending from the top wall and having a groove therein receiving said rib, the bottom edge of said flange Wall being inserted into the peripheral groove of the bottom wall, an interior wall depending from the top wall and arranged in inner spaced relation to the flange wall to move across the inner end of said passageway on the relative movement of said cover and bottom parts, and cooperating stop members on the cover and bottom parts to limit the amount of relative movement of said parts.

2. A two part dispensing container for pills, tablets and the like comprising a cover part and a bottom part telescoped together, means for movably locking said parts together against complete separation comprising interengaging and cooperating guide means and stopmeans on said parts, said cover part having an upright wall provided with a discharge opening and also having an interior integral smaller depending wall in inward spaced relation to the upright wall, and said bottom part having a pair of upstanding interior spaced members forming a passageway therebetween leading to the discharge opening of the cover part when the discharge opening is in a position wherein it registers with the passageway, said smaller wall moving across the inner end of the passageway when the parts are moved relative into said position.

3. A dispensing container for pills comprising a one-piece molded cover part and a one-piece molded bottom part telescoped together, means for locking said parts together for relative limited movement thereof, said bottom part having a pair of spaced upstanding members providing a passageway therebetween, said members having walls cooperating to guide a pill into said passageway, said passageway leading to the exterior of the bottom part, an upstanding substantially peripheral wall on the bottom part extending above said members at points spaced apart a greater distance than the width of said passageway, said cover part having a depending wall arranged exteriorly of the upstanding peripheral wall of the bottom part and provided with a discharge opening, said cover part having a second wall arranged interiorly of the depending wall and movable across the inner end of the passageway to obstruct the entrance of a pill into said passageway when the discharge opening registers with the outer end of the passageway.

4. A dispensing pill box comprising a molded one-piece cover part and a molded one-piece bottom part, means integral with said parts for locking said parts together for relative limited movement, and means for dispensing a single pill at a time on such movement, said means comprising a pair of spaced members upstanding integrally from the bottom part and forming a passageway therebetween in the interior "of the box, a continuous peripheral wall on the cover part having a discharge opening therein movable into registration with the outer end of said passageway on the relative movement of the parts, and a smaller wall depending integrally from the cover part in inward spaced relation to the peripheral wall, said smaller wall having a surface movable across the inner end of the passageway and obstructing the entrance thereinto of any pills during the discharge of a pill from the passageway,

5. In a pill box, a one-piece molded cover part, a one-piece molded bottom part, means on said parts locking the parts together for limited relative movement, and cooperating means integral with the respective parts for dispensing a single pill at a time on predetermined relative movement of said parts, said means comprising an upstanding peripheral wall on the bottom part having an opening therein, a pair of spaced members upstanding from the bottom part for approximately half the height of said wall and partly closing said opening, there being a passageway between said members for the discharge of a pill, the cover part having a depending peripheral wall arranged exteriorly of the peripheral wall of the bottom part and having an opening therein extending upwardly from the bottom edge thereof half way of the height of said wall and adapted to register with the outer end of said passageway, said cover part having a pair of parallel walls arranged above and adjacent the side edges of the discharge opening and extending inwardly substantially the same distance as said members, and a transverse wall depending from the cover part between the inner ends of the parallel walls and having a height approximately that of the box.

6. A dispensing pill box in accordance with claim 4, wherein the spaced members are approximately half the height of the box and wherein the smaller wall is approximately the full height of the box, and wherein a pair of parallel walls of approximately half the height of the box is provided depending from the cover part and arranged between the side edges of the smaller wall and the side edges of the discharge opening.

'7. In a pill box, a one-piece molded cover part, a one-piece molded bottom part, means on said parts for locking the parts together for limited relative movement including a rib on one part entering a groove in the other part, a pair of spaced members upstanding integrally from the bottom part in the interior of said bottom part and forming a passage therebetween from the interior of the box to its exterior, and a controlling member depending from the cover part and having two parallel walls of approximately half the interior height of the box and a transverse wall joining the inner ends of the parallel walls and of approximately the full interior height of the box, there being a discharge opening in the cover part between said parallel walls.

8. In a pill box, a one-piece molded cover part having an imperforate top and a depending peripheral wall, a one-piece molded bottom part, means on said parts for locking the parts together for limited relative rotary movement, a pair of spaced members upstanding from and integral with the bottom part and arranged in the interior of said bottom part and forming a passage therebetween from the interior of the box to its exterior, and a controlling member depending integrally from and fixed to the.cover part and in the form of a wall of approximatelythe interior height of the box, a surface of said well being arranged to move across the inner end of said passage between said spaced members and obstructing said inner end of the passage against the entrance of pills into the passage during the discharge of a pill from said passage, the wall of said cover part having a discharge opening therein adapted to register with the outer end of said passage at the end of such movement.

9. In a pill box, a one-piece molded cover part, a one-piece molded bottom part, means on said parts for locking the parts together for limited relative movement, a pair of spaced members upstanding from and integral with the bottom part and arranged in the interior of said bottom part and forming a passage therebetween from theinterior of the box to its exterior, and a controlling member depending from the cover part and in the form of a wall of approximately the interior height of the box, a surface of said wall being arranged to move across said passage between said spaced members, and a discharge opening in the cover part adapted to register with the outer end of said passage at the end of such movement, said spaced members extending upwardly approximately half the interior height of the box and the height of said discharge opening being equal approximately to half the interior height of the box.

In a pill box, a one-piece molded cover part, a one-piece molded bottom part, means on said parts for locking the parts together for limited relative movement, a pair of spaced members upstandin from and integral with the bottom part and arranged in the interior of said bottom part and forming a passage therebetween from the interior of the box to its exterior, and a controlling member depending from the cover part and in the form of a wall of approximately the interior height of the box, a, surface of said Wall being arranged to move across said passage between said spaced members, and a discharge opening in the cover part adapted to register with the outer end of said passage at the end of such movement, the cover part and the bottom part both being of substantially rectangular outline and the controlling member in the form of a wall extending transversely of and in between the side walls of the cover part.

11. In a pill box, a one-piece molded cover part, a one-piece molded bottom part, means on said parts for locking the parts together for limited relative movement, a pair of spaced members upstanding from and integral with the bottom part and arranged in the interior of said bottom part and forming a passage therebetween from the ling member depending from the cover part and in the form of a wall of approximately the interior height of the box, a surface of said wall being arranged to move across said passage between said spaced members, and a discharge opening in the cover part adapted to register with the outer end of said passage at the end of such movement, the cover part and the bottom part both being of substantially rectangular outline and the controlling member in the form of a Wall extending transversely of the cover part, said cover part being provided with end walls and with an interior upstanding wall arranged in longitudinal parallel spaced relation to the adjacent end wall and in position to engage the wall forming the controlling member when said parts are in their normal positions in which the passage is closed.

12. In a pill box, a one-piece molded cover part, a one-piece molded bottom part, means on said parts for locking the parts together for limited relative movement, a pair of spaced members upstanding from and integral with the bottom part and arranged in the interior of said bottom part and formin a passage therebetween from the interior of the box to its exterior, and a controlling member depending from the cover part and in the form of a wall of approximately the interior height of the box, a surface of said wall being arranged to move across said passage between said spaced members, and a discharge opening in the cover part adapted to register with the outer end of said passage at the end of such 'movement, the controlling member forming a wall extending transversely of the cover part and being cut away at one end part thereof.

13. In a pill .box, a cover part, a bottom part, means on said parts for locking the parts together for limited relative rotary movement, the cover part having a side discharge opening therein, and means arranged entirely in the interior of said parts and cooperating to dispense a single pill at a time on relative predetermined movement of the parts, said means including an interior discharge passage in the bottom part adapted to register with the discharge opening, and an interior wall fixed to and depending integrally from the top of the cover part and of approximately the interior height of the box and arranged adjacent and inwardly of the discharge opening.

14. A pill box in accordance with claim 8 wherein the wall depending from the cover part guides any pills in the box into the discharge passage and brushes aside and away from the discharge passage any pills in its path.

. LEONARD BARON. 

